ANTIQUES AND COLLECTING RALPH AND TERRY KOVELHow to identify early hooked rugs

November 28, 2004

Hooked rugs were probably first made in the 1700s in the American Colonies, but few remain that date to before the 1850s.

Early rugs were hooked on burlap that had first been a sugar or grain bag. Some backings were several bags stitched together, and it was the backing that determined the size and shape of the rug.

A design was sketched on the burlap, then loops of cloth strips or heavy yarn were pulled through the backing. The strips of cloth used on early rugs were colored with vegetable dyes that faded.

Burlap with a rug design traced in place was sold by Edward Sands Frost after the Civil War. He eventually stenciled the designs in color, making it even easier for a housewife to make a rug.

Frost rug patterns were still being sold after 1900. The early, housewife-designed rugs are the most sought-after today, but any old hooked rug in usable condition is wanted by collectors.

QUESTION: My 13-inch boy doll is dressed in a blue shirt, denim overalls and a denim cap with a brim. The cap has a "Lee" label on the front. Who made it? When?
ANSWER: Check the back of your doll's body. If it's marked "Buddy Lee," it's an advertising doll for Lee jeans. Buddy Lee was introduced in 1920 by the H.D. Lee Co. of Kansas City, Mo. Your doll is wearing a Lee railroad-engineer outfit.

Buddy Lee dolls were made of composition until 1948. After that, the dolls were hard plastic until production stopped in 1962. A Buddy Lee doll, no matter what his age, is worth about $500 if he's in excellent condition and wearing original clothes, including his cap.

My husband is 72 and owns a large glass bowl that belonged to his grandparents. The rim has a flat edge, and there's a square handle on one side. The clear bowl measures 4 inches high by 7¼ inches across at the top. A mark, "TEGCO," is embossed on the bottom so it can be read from the inside of the bowl. Can you tell us anything?

ANSWER: It is likely that you have a child's chamber pot. It probably dates from the early decades of the 20th century. The mark has been used by a British glass company that's still in business, the Technical Glass Co.

Current prices

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.

Ralph and Terry Kovel are antique experts who have written more than 60 books. The Kovels welcome letters and answer as many as possible through the column. By sending a letter, you give full permission for its use in the column or any other Kovel forum. Names and addresses will be kept confidential. The volume of mail makes personal answers or appraisals impossible. The Kovels cannot guarantee return of any photograph. Write to Kovels, King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10019.